By Ashley Gross

Who doesn’t love a good Audrey Hepburn movie? More over, who doesn’t love Audrey Hepburn playing a 1950s version of Princess Jasmine? Princess Ann just wants to escape the pressures of being royalty and experience the simpler life. One meltdown and a few sedatives later, she finds herself out in the streets of Rome and spending the night with handsome Joe Bradley. Completely risqué for 1953. Unfortunately, although dashing and charming, Mr. Bradley has his own agenda of turning Ann into a news story. He takes Ann all over Rome to do everything she wants: a day of gelato, dancing, and riding a moped through all the sites. As goes any fairytale though, Mr. Bradley can’t help but fall for the princess and can’t go through with selling his insider story. Ann eventually decides to return to her life, but not without one passionate kiss. Although they don’t end up happily ever after, they get a chance to exchange a few words at a press conference before going back to their own lives. 

One of the most prominent scenes is when she cuts her hair short, really short. Ann embraced a whole new sense of style in Roman Holiday, from shorter hair to restyling her clothes. At the beginning of the movie you see the traditional conservative and elegant dress of someone of high social standing, but later she has rolled up sleeves, a flowing circle skirt, and flat “gladiator” sandals. This was the look of Roman Holiday. Before she put on sandals there was a scene that demonstrated the pain of standing in high heels for a long period of time, something that I know all girls can still relate to today.

Although the look is stylized in a way that is clearly 1950s, we still see some of Audrey’s iconic looks from this movie today. Strappy “gladiator” sandals remain a popular choice for those summer days. Dior, Dolce & Gabanna, Givenchy, and Balmain are just a few who put some down the runway. Not to mention how many different styles and ways that you can wear a white shirt these days. Sure, all Audrey Hepburn had to do was roll up the sleeves and she was insta-cool, but now it’s all about how you can make it your own. Even circle skirts have made a comeback. They just make you want to spin around, or hop on a moped with the first hot guy you find in Rome. The iconic Roman Holiday look is classic, not trendy. We relate to that flirty casual look, just like we relate to Princess Ann wanting to have just one day of fun. Princesses are just like us anyway right?

References

Accessories: balmain. (2013). Vogue Collections, 17, Sandals image.

IMDB. (2013). Roman holiday. Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3815413760/tt0046250?ref_=ttmi_mi_all_sf_4 Images from movie.

Wyler, W. (Director) (1953). Roman holiday [DVD].

Young , D. (2013). The classic white blouse. Retrieved from https://www.obaz.com/lookbook/1634. Image of white button down.